You Must Be Aware Of Deadly Side Effects After Epilepsy Surgery

Mood disturbance is a common side effect after epilepsy surgery. Few studies have examined mood disturbance in patients undergoing resections outside the temporal lobe (extratemporal resections). This study aimed to compare the early, postoperative evolution of mood disturbance in temporal and extratemporal lobe epilepsy patients to examine the side effect of surgical resection on mood outcome.

Before epilepsy surgery, both temporal and extratemporal patients had significant psychiatric histories with similarly high rates of depression (33 and 53%, respectively) and anxiety (23 and 18%, respectively). After surgery, significantly more temporal patients were seizure free at each of the reviews compared with extratemporal patients. Temporal patients also reported significantly higher levels of depression (26%), anxiety (42%), and psychosocial adjustment difficulties (64%) as after epilepsy surgery side effect. Mood disturbance was significantly associated with adjustment difficulties in both groups but was not related to seizure outcome at any review period.

A general increase in mood disturbance was evident as one of the most deadly side effect after epilepsy surgery, . Site of surgery and psychosocial adjustment showed significant associations with postoperative mood disturbance, supporting the role of both neurobiologic and psychosocial factors in mood outcome.

Memory Problems

One of the after epilepsy surgery side effect can be memory problems. From prior studies, the risk of this seems greater when the surgery is performed on the left side of the brain. It is unclear whether these memory problems after epilepsy surgery are any worse than in patients with poorly controlled seizures who do not have epilepsy surgery. In this issue of Neurology, Rausch et al. report a study of memory function 9 to 19 years after epilepsy surgery in patients who had left vs right-sided surgery. Both groups were compared to epilepsy patients who had similar seizure disorders and were followed for the same time period, but did not have surgery.

There were 21 patients who had epilepsy surgery on the left side of the brain, 23 who had epilepsy surgery on the right side of the brain, and 8 patients who did not have surgery. Memory function and seizure control was measured in each group 1 year after the surgery, or 1 year after the surgical evaluation in the group who did not have epilepsy surgery. All groups were evaluated again at an average of 12 years later.

The most common after epilepsy surgery side effect is a small blind spot in your side vision, which isn’t likely to bother you. You might also be queasy or throw up, or feel like you’re going to have a seizure.Some people have trouble speaking, or remembering or finding words. This often goes away on its own.You may be more depressed or anxious after surgery. If your mood doesn’t get better in a few weeks, talk to your doctor.

The results showed no significant decrease in memory function was after epilepsy surgery side effect. Interestingly though, the children who had right TLE surgery showed an improvement in verbal episodic memory, and those who had left TLE surgery showed an improvement in visual episodic memory. This suggests that the unoperated temporal lobe had a surge in function after seizures stopped/were reduced.